Electric-railway system.



I No. 66L020. Patented Oct. 30,1900.

5; E. u'ssonu. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

' (Application filed. Apr. 5. 1900.) (No Model.) w 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

[NVENTOR WITNESSES: 15,

.61 g4 I Alford?) No. 66mm. Patented'DcL-30, I900.

. B. E. ossonu.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900. (N o M ad e I.)

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/ I Urea" Ky 0 a 1 mm gs jvrmvrza Patented Oct. 30, I900. B. E. OSBORN.

ELEGTBIC' RAILWAY SYSTEM;

(Application filed Apr. b. 1900.)

No. 6 6l,020.

(No Model.) {Shank-Sheet 4.

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Unitas STATES}- PATENT BYRON E. OSB ORN, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,020. dated-October30, 1900.

Application filed Apri15. 1900.

' (It all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON E. OsBORN,a

citizen of the United States, residing at Au terns; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake anduse the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

improvements in electric railway systems, and especially to a subway orsurface system in which a prime conductor suitably insulated from allexterior conducting agents is provided which is designed to carry theelectric energy, while mechanical means is utilized for bringing thecurrent to the surface, as required, to energize a normally-deadcontact-stand bearing a switch, which when operated by a conductor-shoecarried by the frame of a car-truckallowsthe current to pass from theprime conductor to and through the contact-stand, thence through theconductor-shoe and conductingwire to the rheoo stat or controller on thecar, whence it is switched onto the car-motors and returned from thelatter through suitable insulated wire to the negative pole of thegenerator. By returning the current through a suitable 5 conductingmedium to the negative pole of the generator instead of throughthe'axle, wheels, rails, and the earth wandering currents are prevented,which in the common construction of electric railways causes elec- 4otrolysis to grounded metallic pipes.

The invention relates, further,'to an electric-railway system which isadapted to the various conditions of city and country lines and in whichthe wires and electric equip- 5 ment are inaccessible to pedestrians,thus reducing accidents incident to persons or animals coming in contactwith exposed wires to a minimum.

In carrying out my invention I provide at intervals a series ofcontact-stands which are normally dead, each stand carrying anoscillating lever which is thrown into contact This invention relates tonew and useful SerialN0.11|'729- (No mode Other-featu res of the presentinvention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed,as well as the various com binations of coacting elements of the system.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisapplication,and in which drawings similar letters of reference markedthereon indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which' IFigure l is a planview of a section of a railway-track, showing theelectrical conductorwires, pipes protecting the latter, and thecontact-stands arranged at intervals apart adjacent to the rails. Fig. 2is aside elevation of one of the contact-stands, parts being in section,and a section of a contact-shoe, shown in dotted lines, which is carriedby a car. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through one of thecontact-stands and the primary and feeding wires. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a car carrying motor,controller, and shoe, showingelectrical connections between shoe, controller, and motor, said viewshowing parts in section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a por tion of ashoe and a contact-stand having electrical connection with a returnconducting-wire, said shoe being shown as in contact with the stand,parts being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a motor onthe truck of a car, showing also the track and conducting-wires andgenerator. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section through a stand,

slightly modified. Fig. Sis a cross-sectional view of guards shown asheld against a contact-stand, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of theguard and stand shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a standand guardplate.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings byletter, Adesignates the prime conducting-wire, which is carried in suitableinsulating-piping O, and in the event of the current being conveyed aconsiderable distance a second feed-wire B is provided which is alsoinsulated and carried within the piping O, and at any intervals alongthe route said prime conductor may be united or yoked to the feed-wire,which latter is connected to the positive pole of the generator A. Thistubing is preferably secured to the ties of the railway and atintervals, nearly the length of an ordinary street-car, are secured thecond uctor-stands D which are fastened to planks or plates resting onthe ties and held thereto by any suit-able means. The piping referredto, through which the primary and feeding wires pass, is made up ofsections extending,

from one conductor-stand to another along the side of the rails,-ahd theends of said wires protrude a few inches beyond the end of the pipe.These exposed ends of the wires are inserted into a coupling As, inwhich coupling is also held one end of the segmeutary conductor I, whichis located within the chamber of the contact-stand. To the opposite endof the segmentz'try conductor a coupling is connected to which theprotruding ends of a section of the prime conducting-wire andfeedingwire are held, the latter being contained within another sectionof piping extending to the next conductor-stand, the entire length ofthe prime conductor and feeding-wire being made up of similar sectionsconnected as described. At each end of every con tact-stand a woodenplank Z, first-covered byanysuitable cement, as white and red lead inoil, is bolted to the plank or plate on which the contactstand is held,which plank covers the ends of the wires and pipe, thus making thestandchamberand pipe water-tight. These contact stands, which arecommonly placed a distance apart equal to nearly the length of a car,may be placed nearer together on curves in order to allow a contact tobe made between said stands and a cond uctorshoe carried by a car. Saidstands are constructed the height of the rails used in the constructionof the road, and in the chambered portion of each stand in a systemequipped for a city or thoroughfare line is journaled an oscillatingcontact-lever D, which turns on a stud D. Loosely journaled on thespindle (Z, between the upper pivotal ends of said lever, is anantifrictionroller M and projecting below the stud D is a portion ofsaid lever which has laterallyextending lugs M.

J and J are two clampingplates held in any suitable manner to thesegmentary conductor, and on said plate J are pivoted the lower ends ofthe angle contact members K and K as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. In order to hold these contact members normally out of contactwith the inner wall of the chamber of the stand, springs K areutilized,or weights may be used,if desired,

normally in a vertical relation springs O are held under the lugs M onthe opposite sides of the projecting end of the lever D. In project-ingportions of the stand, on its upper edge, are journaled theantit'riction-rollers P and P, against which the shoe N contacts as ittraverses the stand.

The construction of stand illustrated in Fig. 2, which has beendescribed, is found to be the best form of contact mechanism in a systemadapted for grades or for hauling freight, in which a large am perageisrequired, in which stand contact may be had with the shoe at threedifferent locations.

In systems requiring only a medium amperage the form of stand andcontact mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7 I wish to employ. In thisslightly-modified construction the shapes of the contact members K and Kinstead of being angular and pivoted at their lower ends to the clamping-plate J are journaled on the studs K carried by the walls of thecontact-stand, and to one arm of each of said members K and K isconnected a spring K adapted to normally hold each member in theposition assumed by contact member K in Fig. 7. Instead of the clamping-plate J, Fig. 2, I employ the cups E, which are mounted on plates E,which are clamped to the segmen tary conductor I, and these cups aredesigned to contain metallic mercury.

In Fig. '7 of the drawings one arm of the contact member K is shown asdepressed into the receptacle or cup, said member being depressed by theshoe of the car oscillating the contact-lever, which in turn tilts saidmember K. In this construction, requiring but a medium amount ofamperage, the antifriction contact rollers P and P may be dispensed withand only the oscillating lever carrying the loosely-journaledcontact-roller M utilized.

Thecontact-stands which are utilized in the return-circuit and oninterurban railways, on which latter there is but little travel otherthan by the electric cars, the stands being separated beyond the reachof animals or persons, are preferably constructed as shown in Fig. 5. Inthis stand D are mounted the ant-ifriction-rollers P and P, and insteadof the oscillating contact-lever, as before described in connection withthe stands D I employ a segmentary conductor 1 inserted in the couplingsH, which also receive the ends of the return conducting-wire sections G,passing through the insulating-pipes Gr. To these couplings are securedthe ends of the conductorY,which is held near the middle of the stand,as illustrated. This return conducting-wire may be made continuous fromthe negative pole of the dynamo to the extremities of the road or madesectional and connected, as shown, and the stand D is live normally withthe wire to which it is attached.

For protecting the contact-stands I utilize the metallic guards R,(Shown in Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive.) A suitably-recessed portion R ofeach of said guard-plates is provided to allow the oscillatingcontact'lever to operate freely,

and the under edge of each plate is recessed out, as at E so as to allowany dust or foreign matter which might drop into the recesses R toescape onto the ground. These guard plates are preferably bolted to thestands on their outer faces, while the outer faces of the rails willserve to protect the inner facesof the stands.

Referring to Fig. 40f the drawings, the shoe N is made preferably of twocomplemental plates of rolled metal, (this detail being better shown insection in Fig; 8,) bolted or otherwise secured together and carryingabindingpost N By means of brackets N a flanged disk N is held' to theshoe-sections, and on said disk the metallic post Q rests, said postbeing connected at its upper end to the frame U of the car. A spring Nis interposed between said disk N and the frame of the car, whereby theshoe will be self-adjusting, and should the car leave the trackaccidentally said conductorwould be raised several inches, contractingthe spring. The ends of the conductor are preferably slightly upwardlyturned, soas not to be interfered with in case any foreign matter shouldhappen to be upon the stands.

To the bindingpost N is electrically connected one end of the wire N',which has its other end connected to the rheostat or controller T,mounted on the platform of the car. The motor W, carried by theframework of the truck, has geared connection with the driving-wheel W,suitably mounted on the axle WV and a wire T connects the rheostat orcontroller with the negative pole of the motor, while the positive poleof said motor is connected by wire T to the binding-post T through whichthe current passes to the shoe on the opposite side of the car and whichis held in contact with the stands in the return circuit. The lights Sin the car are brought into the circuit by means of the connectingwireS, connectingthe switch S with the conducting-wire N.

In operation, as a car equipped with a shoe on either sidesubstantiallythe length of the car rests on the rails said shoes will always be heldin contact with a contact-stand on the outgoing circuit on the one sideand with a contact-stand in the return-circuit on the opposite side.Said stands being disposed in a zigzag relation in the two series withrelation to one another and of such a distance diagonally apart,preferably about thirteen feet,will also render the exposed stands safefrom contact simultaneously by persons or animals. As the shoe comes incontact with the antifrictional roller on the oscillating lever thelatter is tilted and electrical contact is made and the currentpasses'through the shoe and to the motor, and thence returns to thegenerator in the manner hereinbefore described.

What I claim is 1. In an electric-railway system, two series ofcontact-stands disposed at intervals to one anotheron opposite sides ofa railway, a prime ductor, shoes carried'by a car, one of which shoesbeing designed, as it traverses a con tact-stand through which theprimary conductor passes, to tilt said oscillating lever against one ofsaid contact members, and hold the latter against the contact-stand, thesecond shoe adapted to contact with a stand in the return-circuit, amotor and electrical connections between same and the shoes, as setforth.

2. In an electric-railway sys em, two series of con tact-stands disposedat intervals to one another-on opposite sides of a railway, a primeconductor passing through one series of said stands which are normallydead, oscillatingcontact-levers carried by the latter,springactuatedcontact-pieces connected to the primary conductor, the shoes carried bythe car, one of which shoes being designed, as it traversesacontact-stand, through which said primary conductor passes, to throw alever into electrical connection with one of said contactpieces, thesecond shoe designed to contact a stand on the opposite side of therailway and in a return-circuit, a motor and electrical connectionsbetween same and said shoes, as set forth.

3. In an electrical-railway system, two series of contact-standsdisposed at intervals to one another on opposite sides of a railway, aprime conductor passing through one of said series of stands which arenormally dead, oscillating contact-levers carried by the latter, springsfor holding said levers in vertical positions, spring-actuatedcontactpieces designed to be thrown into electrical connection with theprimary conductoras said lever is tilted, a shoe carried bya car anddesigned to traverse the stands through which the primary conductorpasses, and to tilt said levers, a shoe contacting with a stand on theopposite side of the railway, the motor and electrical connectionsbetween same and said shoes, as set forth.

4. In an electric-railway system, two series of conductor-standsdisposed at intervals to one another, on opposite sides of a railway, inalternate relation, a prime conductor passing through one of said seriesof stands which are normally dead, oscillating levers journaled in thelatter, pivoted and spring-actuated contact members adapted to be tiltedby said levers, .the cups held in contact with the primary conductor,and containing metallic mercury, into which the ends of said members areinserted as they are tilted by a shoe traversing the stand andoscillating said 1ever, the motor, shoes and electrical connections asset forth.

5. In an electric-railway system, two series of conductor-stands, oneseries being located along each side of the railway, and in alter- IIOnate relation to one another, a prime conductor and a feeding-Wireinsulated in suitable piping, and disposed between the stands on oneside of the railway, which stands are normally dead, segmentaryconductors located in said stands, couplings connecting the primaryconductor to said segmentaryvconductor, the contact-plates secured tothe latter, the oscillating lever pivoted to the stand andspring-actuated, the contact members also spring-actuated and designedto be tilted by said lever into electrical connection with saidsegmentary conductor, the antifriction-roller carried by said lever, theantifriction-rollers on the stands, the shoes, motor and electricalconnections between the latterand said shoes as set forth.

6. A contact-stand for an electric-railway system, comprising theoscillating contactlever pivoted to the walls of the stand and having anantifriction-roller for contact with a shoe, lugs on the lower end ofsaid lever, springs engaging said lugs to hold said lever normally in avertical position, the segmentary conductor in the'chamber of the stand,the pivoted and spring-actuated contact members, the plates secured tosaid segmental-y conductors, as set forth.

7. In an electric-railway system, a return contact-stand comprising asegmentary conductor carried in the chamber of the stand,

couplings in which the ends of said conductor are held, the antifriction-rollers j ourn aled in the upper edge of the stand, theconductor bolted to the upper edge of the stand and connected to thereturn-wire, said stand being normally live with the Wire to which it isconnected.

8. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the contact-stands,as described, the guard-plates recessed and held against thestands, and the insulated blocks held against the ends of thecontact-stands, as shown and described.

9. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the series ofcontact-stands and electrical connections therewith, the shoes, adaptedto be held in contact with a stand on the outgoing and return circuits,each shoe made up of two complemental angle-plates with upturned ends,the bi riding-post secured. to said'shoe, the flanged disk, theangle-braces securing same to the shoe, the metallic post, andspring-bearing between said disk and a portion of the truck of the carcarrying the shoe, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BYRON E. OSl-EORN.

Witnesses:

W. J. EMENS, F. M. HosMER.

